When the summer cools down or the winter warms up and business slows down, how can you make the phone ring? Special promotions.

This week, Weldon Long welcomes back Gary Elekes to explain how to use promotions -- and which specific promotions to use -- to drive revenue in those seasons when business isn't organically booming. Plus, tackling "three bids" and other questions.

QUESTION:
I have seen Amazon Home Services and Google Local Services on the internet. Should I be concerned about their offerings? How can I compete against them?

STEPHEN DALE:
That's a great question. It's an interesting time in our industry, and I look at all the disruptors like Uber, and what they did with the taxi industry, and Airbnb, and what they did with the hotel industry. And the phrase I like to look at is "keep your friends close and your enemies closer." What I mean by that is that, as a contractor …

Sure, your company is selling service and expertise -- the solution to a problem -- but the equipment itself is still a big part of every industry company's business. So how do you decide what brand to sell? Should you offer a variety, or vet out a single brand that you think is in your client's best interest? In this month's Snapshot Survey we're asking all about choosing equipment brands to learn what practices are being implemented across the industry -- and why.

Take this month's survey on Choosing Equipment Brands and be entered for a chance to win a $100 Visa or Mastercard gift card.

Congratulations to Michael Mattioni of Mattioni, Plumbing, Heating and Cooling, in Downington, PA, for winning last month's $100 gift card

“How the $100 Million HVAC Company Was Built”

Less than 15 years ago, Parker & Sons did $7 million in sales. In 2018, they'll surpass $100 million. How did they accomplish such incredible growth?

In the latest episode of Contractor Coffee Club, Parker & Sons owner Paul Kelly joins host Mark Matteson to explain exactly what he's done, what his company focuses on, and what they continue to strive for in order to reach those heights ... and continue that growth.

Just had a class with Gary Elekes and took in a lot of good info. Boss and I are trying to recall service ticket averages. I thought it was $350 for HVAC and $850 for plumbing goals. He thinks it’s $660 for HVAC.

See other contractors’ and consultants’ feedback, and join the conversation yourself, on Contractor Connect – the latest EGIA member benefit free for all members.

In last month’s Snapshot Survey, we asked contractors about overcoming seasonality. Below is the result from one of the questions:

In a typical year, does your company layoff (or hire) seasonal employees?

Once an all-too-common occurrence, seasonal layoffs have decreased to some degree in recent years as more and more companies have put an emphasis on seasonal initiatives and year-round planning to prevent the practice. When asked if they hire or layoff seasonally, 82% of contractors we surveyed said they do not, against 18% that do. Most companies identify finding good people to hire as the primary issue they’re facing, so ensuring that, when the right person is hired, they don’t need to be let go during the offseason is of paramount importance. At the same time, someone who isn’t worth keeping throughout the year may not be an ideal hire just because it’s July, either. Some best practices to flatten the seasonal cycles and keep employees busy all the time include putting an emphasis on service agreements all year, so techs can focus on maintenance during slow seasons, as well as seasonal marketing initiatives to drive business when it doesn’t happen organically.

Log-in to access last month’s research summary report on overcoming seasonality, as well as the full Snapshot Survey archives.

Visit the interactive Contracting Best Practices Library at EGIA.org/University for training and education resources on marketing campaigns, service agreements, and other tools that can help businesses overcoming seasonality.

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More of the Fall 2018 slate of educational workshops are reaching capacity, but don’t worry, there will be plenty more opportunities to experience the one- to two-day game-changing educational experiences that are garnering rave reviews industry-wide: We have officially announced the Spring 2019 Workshop Calendar!

Twenty-five more acclaimed live educational workshops have been added to the calendar beginning in January, on topics like marketing, financials, customer service, sale, service agreements and much more!

EPIC2018 is in the books but, after it sold out three months in advance, you don’t want to wait to reserve your spot for EPIC2019.

Next year’s conference will take place October 3-4 at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, and will be built upon the same foundation that made EPIC2018 such a success: a commitment to helping individuals and companies grow and improve, access to industry experts and world-renowned keynote speakers, and unrivaled networking opportunities!

Learn how to develop a prosperity mindset that delivers transformational business results and allows you to thrive and prosper in the face of any adversity. Whether the challenge is the economy, cheap competitors or personal difficulty, you will learn how to become an unbeatable and unstoppable force to be reckoned with in the marketplace.